Trinidad: Three charged with raping mom, daughter

HIDING FACES: Cpl Majid Khan, right, escorts Kempton Harris, red bandanna over face, Nicholas Dean, second left, John Spann, in striped jersey, to the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court as they hid their faces. The three are charged with rape and also with robbing a family at their home. Trinidad express

(TRINIDAD EXPRESS) THREE men who, three days before Christmas Day, allegedly tied up a family of four, raped a mother and her teenage daughter and armed with a gun robbed the household of items valued at thousands of dollars appeared in court yesterday.

Two were denied bail and the third was granted bail.

Damien John Spann, 30, of Pleasantville; Nicholas Dean, 29, of La Romaine and Kempton Harris, 29, of La Romaine, were together charged that on December 22, 2016, with another person, they had sexual intercourse with two females at their house without their consent. It was also alleged that armed with a firearm, they robbed the family—a father, mother, 50, daughter 19 and son—of jewelry, electronic items and cash and used personal violence toward them.

The three men were not called upon to plead to the six charges. Dean also faced a seventh charge of being in possession of one gramme of marijuana on January 4. The charges were laid by corporal Masjid Khan.

Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan tendered criminal records for all the men. After reviewing them, Deputy Chief Magistrate Nannette Forde-John told Spann and Harris they had a right to apply to a judge in chamber as she denied them bail.

Spann objected. “Is not all those matters I have pending. I supposed to have three matters pending,” he said. Forde-John told him that at his subsequent court appearance he could bring the proof that the matters had been determined.

Dean was granted $120,000 bail to be approved by a clerk of the peace at the San Fernando court. Seedan asked for conditions to be attached and the magistrate ordered that he report to the police station three days a week.

He thanked the court saying, “It is only after five days I get a justice.”